Ice skating is back on the north end of Central Park. The new Gottesman Rink at the Davis Center at the Harlem Meer debuted this weekend, replacing the outdated Lasker Rink as part of the larger new facility that opened earlier this year. The rink offers affordable public skating sessions, community-led programs, and ice time for local schools and organizations.
Gottesman Rink is part of the $160 million Davis Center, a new recreation center that opened at the northern end of Central Park in April.
The year-round facility is seamlessly integrated into the park’s historic landscape and transforms for each season, from a pool in the summer, a green lawn in the spring and fall, and an ice rink in the winter.
Designed by Susan T. Rodriguez | Architecture • Design and Mitchell Giurgola Architects in collaboration with the Conservancy, the facility is the Central Park Conservancy’s most ambitious project in its 44-year history and marks the culmination of the group’s decade-long effort to revitalize the park’s northern end.
“With the opening of the Gottesman Rink, the Central Park Conservancy celebrates both a new chapter for the Davis Center and the culmination of more than four decades of dedication to Central Park,” Betsy Smith, president and CEO of the Central Park Conservancy, said.
“What began in 1980 with a few determined volunteers has grown into a parkwide transformation that reimagines what’s possible in public greenspace. The Davis Center now stands as a year-round destination, a vibrant reflection of our commitment to serving all New Yorkers for generations to come.”
Building on the Conservancy’s ongoing efforts to promote accessible public space, the full-size ice rink fills a community gap by offering public skating sessions, skating and hockey lessons for all ages, and dedicated time for schools and local organizations.
The Conservancy is partnering with local small businesses and nonprofits to offer a variety of free and low-cost skating programs this season. Programming at the Davis Center is funded by lead donors JPMorgan Chase, the Stavros Niarchos Foundation (SNF), Shelly and George Lazarus, Philip and Alicia Hammarskjold, and Paula and Jeffrey Gural.
During community skate, sessions will cost $5 in off-peak hours and $10 in peak hours for adults. Children ages 4-16 are $5 at all times. Skate rentals cost $10.
Replacing the outdated Lasker Rink and Pool, which was frequently closed due to structural issues and only operated half the year, the new Gottesman Rink and Davis Center are designed around community-driven programming rather than profit.
“The Gottesman Rink is an exciting new chapter in the long-term investment in Central Park’s north end, especially with the curation of inclusive recreational and cultural activities year-round,” Darline Lalanne, director of public programs and Davis Center at the Central Park Conservancy, said.
“We made a point to work alongside the local community in the design and facilitation of these programs to create an open space, so everyone, no matter their income, can experience a sanctuary from the fast-paced city life.”
Learn more about Gottesman Rink’s offerings here.
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